Quote:
Originally Posted by Tob
A few words from the "opposition" if I may. As a blue blooded Ford aficionado, even I can admit to some excitement for the GM camp. Whatever moniker adorns the upcoming Uber Camaro, I have no doubt that it will pack more technology and performance than Chevrolet has ever offered to the public in their version of the pony car. It should be one hell of a ride.
A few things have piqued my interest, most notably, the wheel/tire sizing.
The GT500 community has been begging Ford to upgrade to similar wheel/tire sizes for a few years now. Ford has increased power and decreased weight, but has done nothing (beyond a move to a 265 up front on an SVT PP GT500) with regards to better traction. A 285 out back has failed miserably at putting power to the ground (and yet there are cries for more power!). As mentioned, the weight of the OP's tire sizes would definitely cross a threshold. Unsprung weight is a NVH killer, along with increased rolling resistance (decreased MPG) via more rubber to the road. As an enthusiast, I'd love to see GM pull this one off, especially in light of the impending "green takeover" looming in the near future. If not, I'm sure that just as S197 owners have to do (rear bumpstop bracket trimming, shock boot elimination, carefully chosen offset specs) Z28 owners will be stuffing the widest possible rubber combinations possible under the fenders.wn S197 product development team meetings - I'm all ears.
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Absolutely, Ford needs a bigger tire out back for traction, each suspension system has advantages (for drag racing).
Unsprung weight (USW): Unsprung weight can cause wheel hop without the the right amount of rubber. USW though offers better traction in hard acceleration from a dig. Anyone who lives in a winter snow state will try to simulate tire weight by loading the trunk/bed to gain traction. Nothing can truly simulate wheel weight like actual wheel weight/axle weight. Drag racers love the even, left to right power transfer and the heavy USW helps from the dig.
Cheese and Wine F1 guys try to simulate SRA handling with downforce (imaginary weight, with no real weight added) because a solid axle will not work in a mid engine car that has wheels that extend beyond the body. IRS is heavy overall (for now), but unless the proper 6 link is used, its just as common as a home made go-kart. Unsprung is reduced, sprung weight is increased (which is directly responsible for body roll)... The suspension is doing less work?.. yes... the entire car is suffering from weight?... also yes... If Ford were to use 305s, it would hook and handle.. If Ford were to use say... the GT350 suspension with the same 285s?.. well, thats that "simulated" weight I was talking about. In this case though, it is the damper and springs that simulate.